A Change of Pace
by CasDawriter-Animedragon7
Summary: Edward Elric has had his fair share of tragedy, and he wants out. Gray thought he could handle Natsu's harassment for his life, but disaster turns when one wrong thing is said. How will these two live when fate has a cruel way of dealing with things?


The Elric brothers sat parallel from each other, the train moving underneath them. Alphonse stared awkwardly ahead, armor clinking with every movement. Edward slumped down in his seat, looking contemptuously out the window, watching the scenery go by in a flash. They sat in solitude, having their own private car due to military privileges.

The job they had just finished had been one where not getting their hands dirty wasn't an option. A rouge, ex-military officer had been terrorizing a nearby town and its residents, so the military had been called to take him in. The FullMetal Alchemist was requested by the Fuhrer and it was said to be an easy, in and out assignment. When they (Edward and Alphonse Elric) encountered their target, fate had been cruel, the man had the opportunity to take a hostage. In the end, the confrontation ended with the hostage (a 28 year old single mother who had been passing by with her newborn child, heading home for the day) getting hit with a stray bullet from the man's gun, and their target getting beaten half to death by the enraged Edward. After this, right when the brothers had been in the train station on their way home, they got news from an officer in the area that the woman had passed away the night following the incident, the child orphaned. After hearing this, they embarked.

"I'm done…" the blond muttered quietly, causing his brother's head to turn toward him.

"What are you talking about brother?"

The FullMetal Alchemist turned, glaring straight ahead, "I said I'm done, Alphonse." He sat up straight, leaning closer to his brother. "I'm through with this military, this messed-up thing called justice, and this damned title; I'm so sick of it all! How many lives will we have to ruin to achieve our goal?" he slouched once more, his gaze facing down.

"What are you saying?" Alphonse stood, clanging violently. "How can you say that after all we've gone through?"

"I can't handle it anymore. I just…I just…the pain and sadness…it's too much…" he puts his forehead against his hands, breathing deeply. "Someone died, Alphonse! An innocent bystander, and for what? Because of my stupidity!" The blond went quiet, not looking up. "Why did this have to happen to us?"

"It's the consequences that we got for breaking the taboo. And we have to deal with it in any way that we can. Keep moving forward Edward. Isn't that what you said when you got your state certification? Are you willing to give that all up now?"

The elder brother sat there in silence, hands over his eyes, gritting his teeth. His answer came in no louder than a whisper, "Yes." He rubbed his palms on his eyes, then pulled them away, turning his face away from his brother. His hand hung limp to his side, his glove damp. Edward put his legs onto the seat, not caring how childish it seemed, and pulled them close to him, resting his head against his knees. He then spoke quietly, "I'm telling Mustang when we get to central, Alphonse. And I'm not going back after this. Never."

Alphonse rose from the seat loudly, and without a word, exited the car, leaving his elder brother to wallow in self-pity.

It was midday in the town Magnolia, and the Fairy Tail guild was as lively as ever. Members sat around the main hall, enthusiastically speaking about their recent jobs. Two of the members of the strongest team (Lucy and Erza) sat at the bar beside Mirajane, who stood behind the counter preparing ordered dishes. The blonde spoke frantically on how she wouldn't be able to pay this month's rent while the woman in armor peacefully ate her strawberry cheesecake. It was a nice environment until the terrible two walked through the doors.

"Will you stop complaining about your job already!? I don't care if you destroyed half the town, it's your stupid fault, my moron flame brain!" Gray yelled before they even got through the doors.

"Shut up, you unwanted stripper!" Came from Natsu in an even louder voice.

"Oh, what are you going to do? Melt me with your puny flames? Freakin' Pyromaniac!"

Everyone grew silent as the two wore on, their normal verbal abuse taking a turn for the worse.

"At least my flames are genuine, not some half-assed maker magic that didn't do any good when it really needed to!"

Gray's face changed from frustration to utter shock. Lucy and Erza's face matched his. The ice wizard's face began to morph into an expression of rage, the floor beneath him freezing, slowly spreading across the guild. "How dare you insult my teacher?!" The words came out in a booming voice, echoing through the building and leaving silence. Frosty waves started to come off the male, his hair spiking from the magic aura surrounding him.

Natsu's demeanor vanished, fear slowly sneaking it's way in. He knew he had lost his temper, but the words from before just came out before he could think. Now this happened; He looked to the master in desperation, his eyes showing the regret at seriousness of the situation. Makarov nodded solemnly.

"Gray!" The elder man shouted over the magical fuzz. The mage didn't even flinch at the authority. "You need to stop this tantrum at once, before you hurt yourself as well as other people in the guild!" Gray seemed to pay no heed. His aura widened, and the magic finally seemed to reach Natsu, who was still fairly close to the black-haired fairy. His breath came in painfully seeming puffs, his hands going to his arms, a shiver going through him.

"G-g-gray," he said in a quiet tone. His fingers had a blue tinge to them. "You n-n-need t-to stop…" The cold was obviously starting to seep his strength.

In the back of Gray's mind, a panic started to rise. _What is going on? I don't, I don't understand. I can't control myself, my body…_

The other guild members watched in astonishment as the Dragon Slayer surrendered to the cold, and toppled to the ground, unconscious, his body slowly freezing over. Gray's expression changed to a sight of horror, and the blizzard stopped abruptly, the wizard coming to his senses. Natsu immediately began to defrost, his skin gaining more color by the minute. In a daze, Ul's student could hear the master giving orders. Elfman looked at Gray for a moment, then picked up the fire wizard's limp body and carried him to the infirmary. Others were casually picking up chairs and debris that had blown over from the breeze, acting as if nothing had happened. The seventeen year old stood in his place inarticulately for a moment, then bolted out of the hall, overwhelming emotions taking control.


End file.
